Poetry Quotes | Beyond Motive 4/13

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Poetry Quotes

"Most people can't tell now who wrote what. I like that blurring of identities within the band. because it becomes a unified thing that can't be related to other forms of historical poetry."

"Most people can't tell now who wrote what. I like that blurring of identities within the band. because it becomes a unified thing that can't be related to other forms of historical poetry."

Thurston Moore, American Musician

Poetry, People, Now

4

"Instead of trying to come up and pontificate on what literature is, you need to talk with children, to teachers, and make sure they get poetry in the curriculum early."

"Instead of trying to come up and pontificate on what literature is, you need to talk with children, to teachers, and make sure they get poetry in the curriculum early."

Rita Dove, American Poet

Poetry, Children, Curriculum, Literature

4

"All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling."

"All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling."

Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

Poetry, Feeling

4

"The sort of poetry I seek resides in objects man can't touch."

"The sort of poetry I seek resides in objects man can't touch."

E. M. Forster, English Novelist

4

"Always be a poet, even in prose."

"Always be a poet, even in prose."

Charles Baudelaire, French Poet

4

"I came to pen another poem for you, but even every unwritten poem is you."

"I came to pen another poem for you, but even every unwritten poem is you."

Kamand Kojouri, Iranian Poet

Poetry, Creation, Love, Expression

4

"Meet some people who care about poetry the way you do. You'll have that readership. Keep going until you know you're doing work that's worthy. And then see what happens. That's my advice."

"Meet some people who care about poetry the way you do. You'll have that readership. Keep going until you know you're doing work that's worthy. And then see what happens. That's my advice."

Philip Levine, American Poet

Poetry, Work, People, Advice

4

"We all need ways to express ourselves, and poetry is one of mine."

"We all need ways to express ourselves, and poetry is one of mine."

Jack Prelutsky, American Poet

3

"We recognise in the finished art, which is the result of these conditions, the best words in the best order - poetry; and to put this essential poetry into different classes is impossible."

"We recognise in the finished art, which is the result of these conditions, the best words in the best order - poetry; and to put this essential poetry into different classes is impossible."

John Drinkwater, English Poet

Poetry, Art, Order, Result

3

"Written poetry is different. Best thing is to see it in performance first, then read it. Performance is more provocative."

"Written poetry is different. Best thing is to see it in performance first, then read it. Performance is more provocative."

Adrian Mitchell, British Poet

Poetry, Performance, First, Provocative

3

"The cloning of humans is on most of the lists of things to worry about from Science, along with behaviour control, genetic engineering, transplanted heads, computer poetry and the unrestrained growth of plastic flowers."

"The cloning of humans is on most of the lists of things to worry about from Science, along with behaviour control, genetic engineering, transplanted heads, computer poetry and the unrestrained growth of plastic flowers."

Lewis Thomas, English Scientist

Poetry, Science, Control, Growth

3

"For awhile after you quit Keats all other poetry seems to be only whistling or humming."

"For awhile after you quit Keats all other poetry seems to be only whistling or humming."

F. Scott Fitzgerald, American Author

3

"And how can poetry stand up against its new conditions? Its position is perfectly precarious."

"And how can poetry stand up against its new conditions? Its position is perfectly precarious."

John C. Ransom, American Poet

3

"In a manner of speaking, the poem is its own knower, neither poet nor reader knowing anything that the poem says apart from the words of the poem."

"In a manner of speaking, the poem is its own knower, neither poet nor reader knowing anything that the poem says apart from the words of the poem."

Allen Tate, American Poet

3

"Some Marines made fun of the fact that I had done plays and studied poetry, but then I won the award for physical training."

"Some Marines made fun of the fact that I had done plays and studied poetry, but then I won the award for physical training."

David Hunt, English Politician

Poetry, Fact, Fun, Marines

3

"One can't write for all readers. A poet cannot write for people who don't like poetry."

"One can't write for all readers. A poet cannot write for people who don't like poetry."

Nathalie Sarraute, Russian Lawyer

3

"His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard of his chin was as white as the snow."

"His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard of his chin was as white as the snow."

Clement Clarke Moore, American Writer

3

"I don't live for poetry. I live far more than anybody else does."

"I don't live for poetry. I live far more than anybody else does."

Charles Olson, American Poet

3

"It's bad poetry executed by people that can't sing. That's my definition of Rap."

"It's bad poetry executed by people that can't sing. That's my definition of Rap."

Peter Steele, American Musician

Poetry, People, Rap

3

"Lastly, his tomb shall list and founder in the troughs of grass. And none shall speak his name."

"Lastly, his tomb shall list and founder in the troughs of grass. And none shall speak his name."

Karl Shapiro, American Poet

3

"I wrote things for the school's newspaper, and - like all teenagers - I dabbled in poetry."

"I wrote things for the school's newspaper, and - like all teenagers - I dabbled in poetry."

Stephen Colbert, American Comedian

Poetry, School, Teenagers

3

"My films are an extension of my poetry, using the white screen like the white page to be filled with images."

"My films are an extension of my poetry, using the white screen like the white page to be filled with images."

James Broughton, American Director

3

"There is the view that poetry should improve your life. I think people confuse it with the Salvation Army."

"There is the view that poetry should improve your life. I think people confuse it with the Salvation Army."

John Ashbery, American Poet

Poetry, Life, People, Army

3

"But at the beginning it was clear to me that concrete poetry was peculiarly suited for using in public settings. This was my idea, but of course I never really much got the chance to do it."

"But at the beginning it was clear to me that concrete poetry was peculiarly suited for using in public settings. This was my idea, but of course I never really much got the chance to do it."

Ian Hamilton Finlay, Scottish Poet

Poetry, Idea, Beginning, Chance

3

"If poetry alters the way in which the reader views the world, then it has had its desired effect."

"If poetry alters the way in which the reader views the world, then it has had its desired effect."

John Barton, Canadian Poet

Poetry, Effect, World

3

"Poetry lies its way to the truth."

"Poetry lies its way to the truth."

John Ciardi, English Dramatist

Poetry, Truth, Lies

3

"A great many people seem to think writing poetry is worthwhile, even though it pays next to nothing and is not as widely read as it should be."

"A great many people seem to think writing poetry is worthwhile, even though it pays next to nothing and is not as widely read as it should be."

Mark Strand, American Poet

Poetry, People, Nothing, Writing

3

"There is poetry as soon as we realize that we possess nothing."

"There is poetry as soon as we realize that we possess nothing."

John Cage, American Composer

Poetry, Nothing

3

"I see a resurgence of interest in poetry. I am less optimistic about the prospects for the arts when it comes to federal funding."

"I see a resurgence of interest in poetry. I am less optimistic about the prospects for the arts when it comes to federal funding."

Rita Dove, American Poet

Poetry, Interest

3

"I think when kids just see well-crafted poetry, it's just obtuse to them. It's hard to relate to."

"I think when kids just see well-crafted poetry, it's just obtuse to them. It's hard to relate to."

Jewel Kilcher, American Musician

3

"I think we will always have the impulse towards visual poetry with us, and I wouldn't agree with Bly that it's a bad thing. It depends on the ability of the individual poet to do it well, and to make a shape which is interesting enough to hold your attention."

"I think we will always have the impulse towards visual poetry with us, and I wouldn't agree with Bly that it's a bad thing. It depends on the ability of the individual poet to do it well, and to make a shape which is interesting enough to hold your attention."

James Laughlin, American Poet

Poetry, Ability, Attention, Will

3

"Then I discovered I loved writing poetry more than fiction."

"Then I discovered I loved writing poetry more than fiction."

George Murray, Canadian Poet

Poetry, Fiction, Writing

3

"I write poetry in order to live more fully."

"I write poetry in order to live more fully."

Judith Rodriguez, American Poet

3

"Poetry is indispensable - if I only knew what for."

"Poetry is indispensable - if I only knew what for."

Jean Cocteau, French Director

3

"I'm as much influenced by Joseph Smith and the Mormons as I am, more so, than by Eliot. Actually, I'm much more influenced by the poetry of the Mormons."

"I'm as much influenced by Joseph Smith and the Mormons as I am, more so, than by Eliot. Actually, I'm much more influenced by the poetry of the Mormons."

Marguerite Young, American Author

3

"Poetry for me is as much a spiritual practice as sexual ecstasy is."

"Poetry for me is as much a spiritual practice as sexual ecstasy is."

James Broughton, American Director

Poetry, Ecstasy, Practice, Spiritual

3

"Theater and poetry were what helped people stay alive and want to go on living."

"Theater and poetry were what helped people stay alive and want to go on living."

Vanessa Redgrave, English Actress

Poetry, People, Living, Theater

3

"Poetic talent doesn't operate in a vacuum. There is a spirit of Polish poetry."

"Poetic talent doesn't operate in a vacuum. There is a spirit of Polish poetry."

Wislawa Szymborska, Polish Poet

Poetry, Talent, Spirit

3

"Rap is poetry to music, like beatniks without beards and bongos."

"Rap is poetry to music, like beatniks without beards and bongos."

David Lee Roth, American Musician

Poetry, Music, Rap

3

"None but a poet can write a tragedy. For tragedy is nothing less than pain transmuted into exaltation by the alchemy of poetry."

"None but a poet can write a tragedy. For tragedy is nothing less than pain transmuted into exaltation by the alchemy of poetry."

Edith Hamilton, American Writer

Poetry, Alchemy, Nothing, Pain

3

"But I am not political in the current events sense, and I have never wanted anyone to read my poetry that way."

"But I am not political in the current events sense, and I have never wanted anyone to read my poetry that way."

Diane Wakoski, American Poet

Poetry, Events, Sense

3

"The poetry community here has been extraordinarily welcoming."

"The poetry community here has been extraordinarily welcoming."

George Murray, Canadian Poet

Poetry, Community

3

"The subject of Finnish poetry ought to have a special interest for the Japanese student, if only for the reason that Finnish poetry comes more closely in many respects to Japanese poetry than any other form of Western poetry."

"The subject of Finnish poetry ought to have a special interest for the Japanese student, if only for the reason that Finnish poetry comes more closely in many respects to Japanese poetry than any other form of Western poetry."

Lafcadio Hearn, Japanese Author

Poetry, Interest, Reason

3

"The mystic purchases a moment of exhilaration with a lifetime of confusion; and the confusion is infectious and destructive. It is confusing and destructive to try and explain anything in terms of anything else, poetry in terms of psychology."

"The mystic purchases a moment of exhilaration with a lifetime of confusion; and the confusion is infectious and destructive. It is confusing and destructive to try and explain anything in terms of anything else, poetry in terms of psychology."

Basil Bunting, British Poet

Poetry, Confusion, Psychology

3

"For me concrete poetry was a particular way of using language which came out of a particular feeling, and I don't have control over whether this feeling is in me or not."

"For me concrete poetry was a particular way of using language which came out of a particular feeling, and I don't have control over whether this feeling is in me or not."

Ian Hamilton Finlay, Scottish Poet

Poetry, Control, Feeling, Language

3

"The beauty, the poetry of the fear in their eyes. I didn't mind going to jail for, what, five, six hours? It was absolutely worth it."

"The beauty, the poetry of the fear in their eyes. I didn't mind going to jail for, what, five, six hours? It was absolutely worth it."

Johnny Depp, American Actor

Poetry, Beauty, Fear, Eyes

3

"My next project is to get back to that. Actually, to learn how to write poetry. I'm not kidding."

"My next project is to get back to that. Actually, to learn how to write poetry. I'm not kidding."

Harry Mathews, American Author

Poetry, Project

3

"So I suppose poetry, language, the shaping of it, was and remains for me an effort to make sense out of essentially senseless situations."

"So I suppose poetry, language, the shaping of it, was and remains for me an effort to make sense out of essentially senseless situations."

Thomas Lynch, American Politician

Poetry, Effort, Language, Sense

3

"Well you can't teach the poetry, but you can teach the craft."

"Well you can't teach the poetry, but you can teach the craft."

David Hockney, English Artist

3

"I've always written, all my life, and when I was very young I developed an interest in poetry."

"I've always written, all my life, and when I was very young I developed an interest in poetry."

Jeffery Deaver, American Writer

Poetry, Life, Interest

3

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